Chapter 7 - The Bombshell Rod came home one evening and told me that Doane Pet Care might be moving to Kansas City. I wasnt too happy but I could see us in Kansas City. We even made a quick trip to check it out and I found some great places to live.... Then he came home and said no, they were moving to Nashville, Tennessee. I told him good for them, I wasnt moving anywhere and he better get that straight. And I meant it! When Jason and Caleb were little we moved to Lebanon, MO and we were there 18 months and I thought I would die. I couldnt leave my mom and dad, brother and sister.... and I wouldnt leave my two sons in college or TRAVIS! I was firm! End of discussion! Rod told them he wasnt willing to move and he started looking for work in Joplin. But there was none to be found. Wed just have to get by on my teachers salary (which wasnt much). We discussed it with the kids and that was that. It was early summer and I was sleeping in and dreaming. Suddenly I woke up and went into the family room where my kids were sitting and playing with the girls and Travis. Were moving to Nashville, I told them. Your daddy is going to walk in that door and tell us he has an offer that we cant refuse.... more money for a salary, moving expenses paid, and the company will buy our house from us. In less than an hour Rod arrived with that exact same news. How can one not be willing when its that clear. So you can say I went, not too willing, actually kicking and screaming, to Nashville, Tennessee to see where we were going to live. In one trip, we saw the town, looked at houses, put an offer on a house, and had the offer accepted. The house was being built and school would start earlier there than in Missouri so wed have to live in a rental house until our house was finished if the kids were going to start to school on time. But how about TRAVIS? Caseworkers jumped into high gear and the baby went home leaving Shelby and Kelly with us for a week while their parents prepared for them to come next. But we still had Travis and I asked if we could keep him in Tennessee until his parents could take him. Of course that couldnt happen, so they found a temporary place and he was scheduled to go back to his family shortly after we left. I knew the people he was staying with, they completed classes with us, I knew they would love him but I didnt want to leave him. And what about Jason and Caleb. Sure they lived on campus but I didnt want to be so far away. Its one thing for a child to go away to college, its another for the parents to go away when the child is at college. I just had to trust God and go. We loaded up part of our stuff, mostly clothes and things for school, and leaving Rod behind to get Doanes stuff packed and our stuff packed, I left with all four kids. We had found this fabulous house to rent that overlooked the river. The owner was fixing it up at our previous visit and would leave their furniture in it for us to use since wed only need it for a month. He had gladly accepted our $600 deposit. Its nine hours from Webb City to Nashville, more with stops, and there are two bridges that are narrow and scary. We had flown in the first time, now we were driving two cars and a big van since Jason and Caleb needed a way to get back to college. So, it took longer than we had estimated and we got there a bit late. We got to the house and went up and knocked at the door. Rod had just bought me a cell phone and I called. Still no answer. We went back and I banged on the door and a man appeared, not the owner. When he opened the door, I could see there hadnt been anything done since the last time we had been there. The man said he was the owners friend and that he didnt have the place quite ready but if we wanted to come and pick stuff up we could stay. I asked him where he lived and he told me IN THE BASEMENT. Ummmmm, no thank you! We were out of there and into a hotel. Thus started the long month hanging out in a hotel. MaLee and Luke started to school and I was stuck at a hotel. They had the good car. I had the van... finally one day I went to central office to do an interview to hopefully get a job. After the interview, I got on the highway and went the wrong direction. Instead of ending up back at the hotel, I found myself over an hour away headed for Kentucky. I had the cell phone but didnt know who to call and then I remembered Martha Jeffery, one of those few friends we had made in Lebanon. She lived in Gallatin so I called her. She asked where I was, and I had no idea. She told me to describe what was around me and I told her a mall and started describing buildings. I heard a laugh on the other end. I had driven within ten minutes of where she was living. I vowed to NEVER drive in Nashville again but within two days I was going to a new school 35 minutes of driving away from home. School was hard... it was like I stepped back in time. The principal was a beautiful black woman with a smile that made you fell good all over. But she was old school and I was completely trained with all of the new methods. The school was small, out in the country, and had inner city kids bussed to it. I was taking the overflow from two first grades that were too large. The teachers were told to choose who would stay and who would go and you know how that goes! First grade..... I had been teaching second and they seemed so dumb. Not only that but I couldnt understand their southern drawl. I had never had many black children, now I had all black children with the exception of one white boy and one white girl. I had three days to set up my classroom and then they just couldnt wait and brought them in after lunch the first day. I asked for books and there were none ... I got the overflow, not the books. Then I could create, just give me construction paper. Sorry, the teachers buy it themselves and are reimbersed. I was floundering! We sat in a circle and played games (nope, not enough desks) and I wondered what I had gotten myself into. But as the days went on, I found myself loving those kids. It would just take time. And I had to go back in time... when I finally got desks and put them in groups I was pulled to the hall and told, At this school we do not work in groups. We will not teach children to copy, cheat, or chat. Oh my, what a lot of undoing I had to do. That first year is mostly a blur. I was in mourning for my college sons, my parents, my baby Travis that I had lost. I had a new job that was so different and very challenging, I had a new house, kids that were trying to fit in and a husband trying to adjust to his new job. My favorite memory of that first grade class was when the principal stepped in one day and she wasnt smiling because I had my kids back in groups. She walked over to the one that had caused so many problems for the other teacher he had and asked him, Kevin, what are you doing? She emphasized ARE like he was in trouble. Kevin looked just like Gary Coleman! His response, Were writing a hypothesis and Im helping Darkena spell the words. She just walked out.... yay, one point for me! I was displaced at the end of the year and interviewed the week after school was out. As I was on my way to Cockrill to the interview, I got the call... yup, the same call. We have a two year old little boy here that needs a home, can you take him? I told them I was interviewing and would be there as soon as the interview was over. I left Cockrill, went to pick up Harold and was given Altashia and Aleyah as well. As I was on my way home with three babies, Cockrill called back and said they wanted me, could I come back and sign some papers. Imagine their surprise when I arrived, asked them if they could bring them to the car and Id show them why. There sat three little black babies... Harold was 17 months, Aleyah was 14 months, and Altashia was 13 months. I WAS BACK!
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 01:46:08 +0000
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